RailCorp targets rogue iPhone app

NSW state corporation RailCorp has threatened a Sydney software developer with legal action if he fails to withdraw a train timetable application that is currently the second most popular application in its category in Apple's App Store.

NSW state corporation RailCorp has threatened a Sydney software developer with legal action if he fails to withdraw a train timetable application that is currently the second most popular application in its category in Apple's App Store.

The Transit Sydney app(Credit: Alvin Singh)

The idea for the application, Transit Sydney,
came to web developer Alvin Singh after he began teaching himself
how to program in Cocoa Mobile, the Apple-created programming
language used to build applications for the company's hugely
popular iPhone.

"In December I had some spare time and thought I would learn to
program for the iPhone," said Singh, whose day job developing for
a News Ltd online property requires a daily commute on Sydney
trains.

During that month and January, Singh developed and worked with
App Store reviewers to refine the look and feel of Transit Sydney,
an iPhone and iPod Touch compatible application that lets users
search timetable information for services on Sydney's lines.

The $2.49 application, published by Singh's one-man company
FunkWorks, was an instant success, and is currently the second
most-popular travel application in the travel section of Apple's
Australian App Store.

The application, which displays upcoming
train information in a format similar to the monitors found in
every Sydney station, ranks just behind a timetable application for
the London Underground and just ahead of a similar application with
information on Melbourne's trains.

Transit Sydney is selling several dozen copies per day — an
encouraging result for Singh, who acknowledged it needs additional
functionality and was testing the waters before spending additional
time and effort developing the application.

Users are clamouring for more functionality — including weekend
timetables and live-updated information on track works and
cancellations — but Singh has been planning on adding those
enhancements in a future version. "I eventually got it to a point
where for most people it's usable, and if you're a weekday
commuter you can use it," he says.

Yet within days of its 18 February release, Singh received a
cease and desist notice from Rail Corporation NSW, the government
body that administers Sydney's CityRail network.

"I advise that
copyright in all CityRail timetables is owned by RailCorp," said
the email, which has been seen by ZDNet.com.au. "Any use of
these timetables in a manner which breaches copyright by a third
party can only occur through the grant of a suitable licence by
RailCorp."

The notice came as a surprise to Singh, who believed that
timetable information about public transport systems was public
information and pointed to a wealth of similar App Store
applications providing timetables for train systems in Melbourne,
Perth, Singapore, Paris, London, and even another application with
the same Sydney information.

"At this stage, it is not possible for RailCorp to grant
third-party developers access to our internal passenger information
systems. As such, any third-party CityRail timetable application
would contain inaccuracies and have the potential to mislead our
customers."

Asked under what terms a developer could get access to a
"suitable licence" as per the email sent to Singh, Rea said such
licences are currently unavailable to developers while RailCorp
firms up its own mobile development strategy. A timetable
application for iPhone and other mobile users is expected later in
the year, he said, although it was not yet clear whether this would
be provided for free or at a price.

Singh is taking a wait-and-see stance for now while he gets
further legal advice on the situation or a formal legal letter of
demand from RailCorp, and is considering escalating the dispute
over availability of public information to the office of NSW
Ministry of Transport or the NSW Ombudsman.